Business Services Manager in Manchester

About Us

Cafcass works with children and families in family court proceedings to ensure every child’s voice is heard, and their welfare is protected. Our Business Services teams play a vital role in enabling practitioners and managers to deliver safe, effective, high‑quality services across England.

About the Role

We are seeking a Business Services Manager to lead, develop, and support Business Services teams across a designated area covering the North Central Area – Hull & Humberside, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.

As a Business Services Manager, you will lead local Business Services teams to deliver effective business services to our Family Court Advisers and Practice Service Managers, as well as ensuring our offices run efficiently and provide a professional, welcoming environment for colleagues and families.

You’ll report to the Senior Business Services Manager Operations and work closely with local Operational Managers, the National Business Centre, and a range of internal and external partners including the Courts, to ensure services are delivered effectively and consistently.

This role can be based in either our Leeds or Manchester office. We offer colleagues to work in a hybrid way but expect regular office attendance so that we can be the voice of children and young people when the family court makes critical decisions about their futures.

We are a diverse, inclusive organisation that is a safe space for colleagues with shared aspects of identity and lived experience, and we especially welcome applications from people from diverse backgrounds as we strive to ensure our workforce reflects the diversity of the children and families we work with.

We provide extensive wellbeing support for colleagues, as well as excellent benefits, all of which we hope encourages you to join us.

You Will

• Directly manage Team Leaders and Senior Business Service Officers who in turn manage teams of Business Service Officers.
• Manage all Business Services Standard Operating Procedures in your region and within this the quality and quantity of Business Service work via Quality Assurance processes and Key Performance Indicators.
• Be responsible for ensuring all Human Resource issues are managed within the team, including but not exclusively Performance Learning Reviews, recruitment, performance and Health and Wellbeing.
• Work closely with our Estates team and oversee the safe day‑to‑day running of offices in your region.
• Contribute to the development of the national Business Managers team and projects that are commissioned to that team.
• Work locally alongside all other Operational Managers and play an integral part in local Service Area Meetings.

About You

You will bring strong leadership skills, high professional standards, and a collaborative approach to service delivery. You should have:

Essential Skills & Experience

• Excellent people skills, aligned to our Together values.
• Experience in line managing teams across several locations.
• Knowledge of office practices, procedures, and building/facilities management.
• Excellent IT skills with the ability to utilise management information systems effectively.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to present data clearly.
• Proven ability to manage budgets, resources, and multiple priorities.
• Experience in project management or coordination.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and stakeholder‑management skills.
• A commitment to equality, diversity, and safeguarding.

Next steps / timelines

Applications are due by 18 March 2026. If you have any recruitment queries, please contact Michelle Berridge at Michelle.Berridge@cafcass.gov.uk.

Telephone Interviews

27 March 2026

Panel Interview

W.C. 6 April 2026

We understand that starting a new role is a big decision, and you may require further information before applying. You can find out more about the role in the Job Description and there is a wealth of information about Cafcass on our Cafcass Careers page.

Finally, in anticipation of your application being successful, you might want to read about the offer and pre‑employment checks process. As part of your application you can highlight any concerns or questions about the pre‑employment checks and we encourage all applicants to do so, safe in the knowledge such information will not be shared with individuals involved in the selection process.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Successful applicants will be subject to a range of pre‑engagement checks, including a Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS). In accordance with the DBS code of practice and our own policy, should an individual have a declared criminal offence an individual assessment will be completed. Further information on what the assessment covers can be found by viewing the Cafcass DBS policy.